Best time to hunt a bedding area during rut

[jeajoseph]

I have limited time to be in the woods and don't want burn up time unnecessarily by hunting during a time of day that doesn't make sense for a bedding area. That said, I've identified a bedding area that I believe a large buck is currently using. There are rubs leading to the area and then in the immediate perimeter of the bedding area (which is at the tip of a small peninsula surrounded by marsh) there are 50+ rubs all made recently with some clearly made in the last 24 hours. When is the best time of day to hunt a bedding area like that during the rut? Morning? Evening? All day? I don't mind all day but I don't want to sit through the day if the highest likelihood is either early morning or just before evening.

[P.A.Hunting]

So are you speaking in terms of setting up near that point or attempting to push forward into the suspected bedding?

[jeajoseph]

My plan was to setup in the perimeter area where all the rubs are. There's a massive wall of thick brush protecting the actual point of the peninsula and it would be near impossible to get inside that wall without blowing the deer out. He may actually be (and probably is) out in the marsh around the peninsula, but I can't take the chance of trying to push through that wall of brush.

[jeajoseph]

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The area inside the circle is protected by the wall of brush.

[rfickes87]

Something to consider...this time of year he might not be using that bedding area. He could be off with a doe or doe group. That bedding area might only have been where he was during pre rut. If you struggle with that area, try hunting it again in a couple weeks or even in late season. I would not put much stock in him being there now

[P.A.Hunting]

It could go several different ways for sure, with that being said the only way to know is to try it now and possibly again once bucks begin to return to their sacred homes after the rut. I’d just throw an afternoon/evening hunt at it and then follow up with morning hunt the very next day, if nothing comes from that then I’d get down and continue scouting trying to find highest concentration of sign (tracks, evidence of chasing), near good secure cover or tight pinches between secure cover.